Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1887-08-27

Minnesota. 4 see I've got % lift ye up
an hist ye olf'n the placep says Phil.
We'll, talk won't do it! says Minnesota.
Then they went at it. Phil banged him
one in the eye and the Minnesota man
brought him an under-cut. Then they
clinched an rolled, an tore, an pounded,
an pulled, an got up an pounded, but
pretty soon Phil got him down an set
on him, an says he: "Nuw, whose
claim is thisi' L guess it b'longs to d
man bout your size, says the Minnesota
man, an so Phil lets him up an he picks
up his duds an vamooses, Phil keepin
the lumber in his house for his trouble.
It's bout the quickest way to settle a
contest / ever seen," continued the
Judge-''no witnesses or postponements
or appeals or waitin' or nothin', jes' pull
yer coat an wade in. But thunder" he
added, cit I'D be rough on us lawyers il
they all done that way"
The unfortunate NIinnesotian was not
the only man who rose and fell on Bar
tons claim in much the same way. 'It's
gittin, most so they move on ev'ry morn
in an move 'em off ev'ry night" said
Barton himself, as he stood on a street
corner of Buffalo City. 81 tell ye that
claim berlongs to me an I'm goin' t. hold
it. I'm peace'ble law-abidin' American
citizen, but when anybody tries t. beat
me out O. my home there's goin' t. be
trouble. There wou'tb no olawin'-nothin'
but jes' straight fghtin' an lots ov it.
Them as hops onter that claim with the
idee O. holdin' it, will find that I'm a
fighter right from Thumper's Corners,
county o. Git Tharl Them as move on
kin look out the winder an see old Phil
Barton comm like slycone, an they
want o. git while they're able t. move
about! aint no spring chicken, an
when it cones t fightin' they'll find I
was raised way back over Roaring
!.;1J@. Ys ..rr- re. lentlo.a:=
"But how about the wioder Baxter, I"
said Judge Posey, 81 hecred she moved
on yer claim an has put up shack"
"1'he widdcr blank!" said the aston
ished man from Roaring Ridge.
eyes, they say she's on yer place."
''That one with the black eyes?"
eyes"
"The one what teached the school
down at Dead Lake an licked the big
boy an showed out the school off'cers?"
"Same one"
She's got a dog, too"
"Yes-big yeller an white cuss."
81 seen him KILN cats down at
Bufflo one day. lie had 'em stacked up
there like hay"
"Yes, l heered bout it. What dye
think yell do bout the widder, Phil2"
"W'y-w'y-ye see, Jedge, l reckon
the widder'll have t go. don't take
none too much stock in these women no.
how, AN my 'sperience has been that wild
ders air the wuss kind | aint been out
t. my place fer two or three weeks
| reckon I'll mosey out in the mornin' an
see how the land lays"
Then this man. whose earliest recollec-
tions was of looking down into the dark
waters of Bitter Creek and up at the pre-
cipitous sides of Roaring Ridge, walked
away with troubled vision of black-eyed
widows and spotted cat-killing dogs.
The next day Burton went out to his
place, but somehow he didn't get any
farther. Away down on the other corner
he could see small board shanty. He
rightly conjectured that it was the
widows house. But he thought it would
do Just as well to go down after day or
two. He would think about it for
awhile.
The widow Baxter was a lady of rather
uncertain age though by no means old.
She had come out from Indiana year be-
fore and in that space of time had
worked up a reputation for being excep-
tionaIly able to take care of herself.
After few days Mr. Barton, late of
Bitter Creek, determined to go down
and see if he could not induce the widow
to move. He had serious doubts as
to the success of his mission, but
it had to be done; SO he started
out. Before leaving he carefully washed
his face and hands in the kettle in
which he usually boiled his potatocs-his
possessions not including anything nearer
to washbowl-brushed his clothes with
the horse-brush and put on a clean shirt,
all of which was rather remarkable when
we consider his before-named nativity.
lie walked down across the quarter-sec-
tion rather slowly, but arrived near the
Objectionable shack at last As he did
so, to his horror he saw the white-and-
yellow dog sitting in front of the door